Large Vintage Benin Bronze Head of a Queen Mother (Iyoba), Nigerian Tribal Art Sculpture

Meet the lady of the house, and what a presence she has. This is a large and genuinely heavy vintage Benin bronze head in the grand tradition of the Kingdom of Benin, portraying a Queen Mother (Iyoba) with her unmistakable tall, peaked coral bead crown rising like a flame above a serene, knowing face. Tip her toward the light and the dark bronze warms to deep amber, every woven bead and ritual scarification line crisply cast. Standing some 55 cm tall and tipping the scales at around 6.5 kg, she is the sort of object that quietly anchors a room and starts conversations. From a private collection.

Styling & Collectors Inspiration

She is a born statement piece, so give her room to reign. Set her on a plinth or a stack of art books against a moody, dark wall and let that bronze do the talking. She keeps wonderful company with other voices of African and tribal art, and a little cross cultural conversation never hurt anyone:

• Pair her with the raffia drama of our Mid 20th Century Chokwe Mask for a wall and shelf duet.
• Echo her sculptural lines with the bold graphics of our Vintage Ivory Coast Tribal Mask.
• Ground the grouping with the earthy serpentine of our Shona Stone Carvings.
• Or play bronze against bronze with our serene Southeast Asian Bronze Buddha Head.

Details

• Subject: Queen Mother (Iyoba) head in the Kingdom of Benin tradition
• Material: Cast bronze, hollow lost wax casting
• Origin: Benin City, Edo State, Nigeria
• Period: Vintage, 20th century
• Height: approx. 55 cm
• Width: approx. 15 cm
• Depth: approx. 21 cm
• Weight: approx. 6.5 kg
• Features: tall peaked coral bead crown, high beaded collar, ritual scarification marks, rich aged patina
• Provenance: from a private collection

📦 Free Insured International Shipping
This item includes free insured worldwide shipping.
It will be carefully packaged by our experienced team to ensure safe arrival.